Atlantic Center for the Arts Campus
Sound
On/Off
[ Date ]
02 12 2026
A transitional upland at the intersection of conservation land and active airspace where longleaf pine flatwoods persist beneath patterned aviation routes, and seasonal raptors return to the same canopy each year.
[ Geographic Features ]
Coastal Plain, Pine Flatwoods, Scrub Habitat, Watershed
[ Patterns of Land Use ]
Conservation Land
[ Data Set ]
4:20 PM EST
29.073389, -80.961750
63°F 17.2°C 67% RH Partly Cloudy
The path is overgrown. It is not maintained, but it is passable. Grasses lean inward where others may have walked before. Pine needles cover the ground in a loose brown layer, with cones scattered among them. The trees rise at measured intervals. Some are slender and straight; others lift fuller crowns above the palmetto. The canopy is open enough for light to reach the understory. It falls in angled bands across dried fronds and rusted seed heads.
A small prop plane moves overhead, following a practiced path from the nearby flight school. An eagle circles above the treetops. I have been told a pair returns to this area each year, their nest visible high in a tall pine. The eagle lands near the nest and settles. In the low sun, wind moves through the needles and cicadas sing from the grasses.
[ Plants ]
Longleaf Pine
Common Names: Longleaf Pine
Botanical Name: Pinus palustris
Longleaf pine is a tall, fire-adapted conifer native to the southeastern United States. Its long needles — often 8–18 inches — grow in bundles of three and form an open, high canopy that allows sunlight to reach the forest floor. Mature trees develop thick, plated bark that protects them from frequent ground fires. Young trees pass through a distinctive “grass stage,” remaining low before rapidly growing upward. Longleaf pine flatwoods support diverse understory plants and wildlife and depend on regular, low-intensity fire to maintain their structure.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Pinales
Family: Pinaceae
Genus: Pinus
Species: Pinus palustris – Longleaf Pine
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Spanish Moss
Common Names: Spanish Moss
Botanical Name: Tillandsia usneoides
Spanish moss is an epiphytic bromeliad that drapes from tree branches in long, silvery-gray strands. It absorbs moisture and nutrients from the air rather than from the trees it grows upon. Common in humid coastal regions, it softens the canopy and provides habitat for insects and small wildlife. Despite its name, it is neither Spanish nor a moss.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Poales
Family: Bromeliaceae
Genus: Tillandsia
Species: Tillandsia usneoides – Spanish Moss
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Wax Myrtle
Common Names: Wax Myrtle, Southern Bayberry
Botanical Name: Morella cerifera
Wax myrtle is a dense evergreen shrub or small tree with aromatic leaves that release a spicy scent when crushed. It produces small gray-blue berries coated in a waxy substance once used to make candles. Common in flatwoods and coastal areas, it tolerates poor soils and salt exposure.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Fagales
Family: Myricaceae
Genus: Morella
Species: Morella cerifera – Wax Myrtle
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Cabbage Palm
Common Names: Cabbage Palm, Sabal Palm
Botanical Name: Sabal palmetto
Cabbage palm is Florida’s state tree. It has a tall, unbranched trunk topped with a rounded crown of fan-shaped fronds. Highly tolerant of salt, wind, and flooding, it is common in coastal hammocks, flatwoods, and developed areas. The inner bud, once eaten as “heart of palm,” gives the tree its common name.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Genus: Sabal
Species: Sabal palmetto – Cabbage Palm
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Bushy Bluestem
Common Names: Bushy Bluestem
Botanical Name: Andropogon glomeratus
Bushy bluestem is a native warm-season grass with upright stems and feathery seed heads that turn silvery in late summer. It grows in moist flatwoods, roadside edges, and wet prairies. Fire encourages its growth, and it contributes to the layered texture of pine flatwoods understory.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Andropogon
Species: Andropogon glomeratus – Bushy Bluestem
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Dog Fennel
Common Names: Dog Fennel
Botanical Name: Eupatorium capillifoliu
Dog fennel is a tall, feathery native plant with finely divided leaves and a strong herbal scent. It thrives in disturbed soils, roadsides, and open flatwoods. In late summer, it produces clusters of small white flowers. Though sometimes considered weedy, it plays a role in early successional habitats.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Eupatorium
Species: Eupatorium capillifolium – Dog Fennel